Rail connection



N. S. KEMP- AND H. J. KAUTH.

RAIL CONNECTION.

APPLICATION mu) MAY 2, 1921.

1,396,043. Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Wenry J. Xauh, by

tier/72y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICKLOS S. KEMP AND HENRY J". KAUTH, OF WASHBURN, IOWA.

RAIL CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application filed May 2, 1921. serial No. 466,116.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, NIoKLos S. KEMP and HENRY J. KAUTH, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of WVashburn, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Connections, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rail connections, and the object of our improvement is to supply for railway rail joints, connecting means which shall be securely fastened together to hold the rails in proper alinement and support their abutting ends, while insuring adequate provision for expansion and contraction of the ralls without affecting said connections.

This object has been accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the abutting end parts of two alined railway rails connected together by means of our improved connecting and supporting devices. Fig. 2 is a cross section taken through one of said rails and the angle-plates fitted thereon, the clamp being shown in end elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said rail end parts in position before the applying thereto of our con necting devices. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of one of the angle-plates, showing the inner faces thereof which contact with the rail parts. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamps. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of one of the wedges.

In said drawings, similar numerals of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.

The said figures show the usual T-head rails 1 and 2 placed in alinement with their abutting ends narrowly spaced apart to allow for expansion and contraction. On each side face of the rail web laterally projecting cylindrical bosses may be integrally formed when the rail is made, for a purpose to be disclosed, but instead of integral studs, the web may be transversely orificed to receive a plug in each orifice with projecting ends to serve the same purpose.

The numeral 6 denotes an angle-plate, usually called a fish-plate, having an elongated body with a sloping foot 8 the latter having a depending terminal flange 13, and a pair of these angle-plates are fitted to the corresponding surfaces of the rail web and foot on each side to across the joint of the bosses 4 received directed sockets 7 project longitudinally abutting rails with the in oblong longitudinally in the inner faces of the angle-plates. As these sockets are longer longitudinally than the diameter of the bosses, the latter are permitted some relative movements in the sockets when the rails expand or contract under the influences of either high or low temperatures without displacing the connecting devices or weakening them in any way.

The abutting ends of the rails 1 and 2 may have registering transverse semi-cylindrical recesses 3 providing a bolt-hole at the rail joint to receive a bolt which passes through alined bolt-holes in the said angle-plates and is secured by a nut, this connection also not interfering with the alternate expansions and contractions of the rails.

Clamping bodies 11 have upwardly curved hooks 12 at their opposite ends, and these clamps are shaped to pass transversely under and across the bottom of the rail with their hooks 12 clasping the upper faces of the feet 8 of said angle-plates a short distance from their ends.

Short slots 10 are'provided in said feet 8 to register with underlying rectangular elongated notches or recesses 5 in the rail feet, so that when the clamps 11 have been mounted over the rail and angle-plates, the wedges 9 may be driven downwardly into said registering slots and recesses to thereby crowd the clamps tightly upon the angleplates, as the edges of the angle-plates along said feet are slopingly narrowed a distance from each end at 14 to permit said clamps to thus become tightly engaged with the angle-plates to afford snug connections with the rails.

Preferably, the bodies of said angle-plates 6 are shaped with their outer faces convex in order to prevent weakening thereof by the sockets 7. The body of each clamp 11 is preferably of greater thickness than the hooked parts 12 to strengthen it. The slots 10 in the angle-plates may be formed to diminish downwardly to fit the wedges 9, if desired.

The connecting devices shown will operate to strongly reinforce the rail joint preventing subsidence or displacement of the end of either rail, thus insuring longevity to the rails, and preventing accidents.

The feet 8 of the angle-plates 6 may be provided with recesses 15 to seat spikes used to fasten the rails to the underlying ties. This will additionally lock the connecting means for the rails in place.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a rail connection, the combination with meeting rails, of angle-plates overlying the webs and flanges of the rails across the rail-'oint, the webs of the rails having lugs, the angleplates having elongated longitudinally-directed sockets longer than the diameter of and receiving, said lugs, clamps for holding said angle-plates upon said rails, the feet of the angle-plates and the underlying parts of the rail flanges having registering slots, and wedges secured adjustingly in said slots and bearing against the abutting faces of said clamps.

2. In a rail connection, the combination with meeting rails, of angle-plates overlying the webs and flanges of the rails across the joint of the rails, the angle-plates having openings, and the abutting rail ends having notches providing an opening registering with said angle-plate openings, the rails having cylindrical laterally-projecting pins on their webs, the angle-plates having oblong sockets longer longitudinally than the diameter of and movably seating, said pins, clamps removably securing the feet of the angle-plates to the underlying flanges of the rails, said feet and flanges having register ing grooves, and wedges mounted adjustingly in the registering grooves to bear against said clamps.

3. In a rail connection, the combination with meeting rails, of angle-plates overlying the webs and flanges of the rails across the joint of the rails, the feet of the angleplates having longitudinally-directed slots and the flanges of the rails having recesses under and registering with said slots, clamping-bodies fitted across the bases of the rails and having upwardly-hooked ends engaging the upper faces of the feet of the anglebars inside the inner ends of said slots, the edges of the said feet at their ends being slopingly diminished in width, and wedges driven into said slots and recesses to crowd the clamping-bodies inwardly longitudinally upon the feet of the angle-plates.

Signed at lVaterloo, Iowa, this 2d day of April, 1921.

NICKLOS s. KEMP. HENRY J. KAUTH. 

